Nine teams squared off to raise money for kids — and act like them, too — at a dodgeball tournament Sunday held to support the Boys and Girls Club of Binghamton.
The club, which volunteers at local elementary schools, held the tournament in part to raise money for an annual carnival it holds for the young students.
“What we want to do is have a chance to raise money to make the carnival as great as we possibly could,” said Katie Champagne, the president of the club. “We also use the money to buy after-school supplies, paint, Play-Doh, whatever the particular school needs.”
The opposing dodgeball teams began the tournament with some friendly trash talk, joking that their competition was “going down.”
Teams got creative with their names, which included Child’s Play, Slut Dragon, Defending Champs, Plan B, Dunkin Donuts, Irish Car Bombs, If You Can Dodge a Wrench, Team Cobra and Deep Penetration.
When the first round started, dodgeballs immediately flew every which way, hitting everything from students to computers belonging to the organizers of the event. Some battles in this round ended early, while others lasted longer and ended in a one-on-one match between the last player standing on each team.
But after hours of throwing and dodging, Defending Champs stood triumphant, taking home several gift cards, t-shirts and the championship belt.
A member of the winning team said it felt great to support the Boys and Girls Club while still having fun.
Jackson Hoffman, a freshman majoring in computer science, offered advice for dodgeball players.
“Aim low at the big targets,” Hoffman said. “And the turning points of dodgeball games are always when you catch the ball. It’s a big part of the game.”
The tournament raised $225, exceeding the club’s goal of $200.
“It’s always nice to do something for the kids. You don’t get too many opportunities to help the community,” said Nathan Kasmanoff, a sophomore majoring in economics. “Go for a lot of dodges when playing the game, since, after all, it’s called dodge ball, not catch ball.”